Youth advocates call on Ottawa to listen to them before introducing new online harms bill
listen to this article
approx 3 minutes
The audio version of this article has been generated by AI-based technology. There may be mispronunciations. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results.
Youth advocates are calling on the federal government to treat online safety as a human rights issue, saying current systems “are not supporting them.”
At a press conference on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, advocates from the John Humphrey Center for Peace and Human Rights outlined their hopes and expectations for future legislation and action from Ottawa.
The government’s most recent effort to tackle harmful online behavior was Bill C-63, which died on the order paper after Parliament was prorogued last year. Advocates say they want to see meaningful consultation with young people before re-introducing the bill to address online harms.
“With Bill C-63 failing to pass Parliament, there is no meaningful policy that adequately addresses the concerns and needs of young people,” said lawyer Kamalawasani Karunakaran.
“Online harm doesn’t disappear when we log off. It follows us to school, to work. It affects our relationships, our mental health.”
of center Youth Digital Rights Blueprint says youth across Canada felt excluded from the drafting of Bill C-63 – consulted only after decisions were made, faced with inaccessible language and tokenized rather than empowered.
The report outlines some of the risks youth face online and proposes a digital safety framework that reflects international standards and Canada’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Meta recently announced that Instagram users under the age of 18 will only be able to see PG-13 posts and videos unless their parents turn off content restrictions. CBC Kids News went out and asked kids and teens how they feel about age-based restrictions on social media.
According to the report, youth experience gender and identity-based violence and discrimination on gaming platforms and face sexual, data and privacy exploitation and various mental health risks in generally loosely regulated online spaces.
“The absence of a national digital security law exacerbates these harms,” the report said.
Through various calls to action, the report outlines four pillars: participation, protection, measures and support.
“Youth are demanding clear federal action,” said youth advocate Blue Wetsch. “These are practical, achievable steps that can be implemented if there is enough support.”
Justice Minister Sean Fraser said last summer that the federal government would take a “fresh look” at its online harms law.
youth led research
The report’s call to action includes creating a National Youth Digital Safety Advisory Council and permanent youth liaison roles in federal departments to reflect “the diversity of youth experiences across regions, identities and areas of expertise.”
The report also calls for stronger investment in youth-led research and labs focused on digital rights, AI ethics, platform accountability and online harm prevention.
“Meaningful partnerships can take many forms, including youth scholars, community leaders, and youth with experience working with policymakers to provide insight, data, and perspective,” the report said.
The group emphasized that involving youth in policy consultation leads to more sustainable policies.
This report follows recent legislation Australia And France It banned social media for children under a certain age, with similar legislation being considered in Spain, Denmark and Malaysia.
Those governments argue that social media is addictive and particularly harmful to children and young adolescents.
“As we think about new legislation, it is time to have a real partnership with youth at the very beginning of the process. Not at the end and not just symbolically,” said lawyer Fee Gerulen Gelvezon at the press conference.
